


Runaway

by mimijo



Category: Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Blood and Injury, Dark Magic, Drug Addiction, F/M, Family Issues, Fantasy, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Healthy Relationships, High School, M/M, Magic, My First AO3 Post, Mystery, No Beta, Small Towns, Sorry the tags are all over the place, THIS IS GONNA BE WILD, but also not as easy as i hoped for, but in a good way, i think, tagging isn't as hard as i thought it would be, this is exciting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:48:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26109700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mimijo/pseuds/mimijo
Summary: Yuno’s got a bad rep, Sam’s the High School’s sweetheart, Theo’s IQ exceeds the one of his teachers, Ben outruns everyone on the soccer field and Casey’s family is the richest in town. Despite everything these boys are inseparable.Until that one night at the School’s swimming pool.Now two of them vanished from the earth’s surface, one’s in a coma, the fourth doesn’t remember the night and Yuno’s a murderer.
Relationships: There will be some but for now they are secret
Kudos: 1





	1. Prologue - Swimming Pools

**Author's Note:**

> Hiiii :)
> 
> I'm really excited to finally post my first work.  
> I've been working on this idea for a while but never really got around to actually put it on paper.  
> There are already some chapters and separate scenes finished but I can't promise regular updates because I work full time :(  
> But I'll try my best.  
> Also, English is not my first language, so I'd be glad if you could point out grammatical errors or weird structures in sentences.  
> With all of this said, I hope you enjoy this prologue.
> 
> Lots of love,
> 
> MiMi

The ticking sound was the only thing heard in the squad car as Deputy Judith Hartley signalled the left turn.

A loud snort was heard from next to her. She didn’t even bother to turn her head.

“Do you want to say something?”

“Oh, no not at all”, her partner and friend Deputy Luciana Castiglione replied in sarcastically. “Just wondering why you bother to signal your turn on an empty street, with an absolutely non-existent chance of another vehicle appearing out of nowhere, because it is about 2 a.m. on a Tuesday in a small town.”

“Well Ms. Sarcasm, I know your whole grumpy attitude isn’t about me signalling a turn on an empty street at 2 a.m., but about us even being on an empty street at 2 a.m. If you haven’t realised: It’s your job to move out at 2 a.m. when a person calls because someone is trespassing at the High School’s swimming pool, so stop being grumpy”, Judith replied with a short glance at Luciana who was rolling her eyes.

“Who in their right mind would trespass into the High School’s swimming pool, Judy?”, Luciana continued to complain. “Couldn’t the security guard have handled that? It will probably turn out to be a racoon that got lost or false alarm, like last month.”

“So, you expect the security guard to just go Bruce Willis in Die Hard and take down the trespasser like it’s a piece of cake, Lucy?”, Judy questioned while she signalled another turn that earned her another snort. “You know damn well that Mr. Devaney was already ancient when we were in High School, and that was over ten years ago. This man should have retired before the kids that are in High School now where even born.”

“Why does the High School even have a security guard?” Luciana found a new string that she could pull on. “And why does he patrol at night? What do they think happens? That someone breaks in and steals all the school books from the kids' lockers or the balls out of the gym? This is absolutely ridiculous.”

“Do I have to remind you that they have a security guard because your older brothers would frequently break into the school and vandalize literally everything inside? And that because the damage was that high it was cheaper to employ a security guard that nearly works 24/7? It’s the reason why Marco worked 150 hours of community service at the elderly home.”

For a moment Lucy didn’t reply. Then she started to flail like a little child and let out a high-pitched whine, which could easily be translated into: I hate my family for causing me never ending pain for shit they did decades ago, but will always come around to bite me in the ass.

Judy continued to look at the road, not even slightly bothered by the childish display of her best friends’ unwillingness which she was already way too used to.

“All I want to do is watch the newest episode of The Bachelor without being bothered, is that too much to ask for?”, the Italian pouted.

“It is, when you’re on duty”, Judy replied while pulling up to the school’s main entrance where the hunched over figure of Mr. Devaney was already waiting.

“Sue me”, came the muffled reply from Lucy.

Judy just mockingly cooed at her while turning of the engine.

Both Deputies got out of the car and approached the elderly man, who had already opened the double front doors to the school and waited with a smile.

“Good Night Mr. Devaney”, Judith greeted him. “I’m Deputy Judith Hartley and this is my colleague Deputy Luciana Castiglione. We are the responding Deputies to your emergency call.”

The old man smiled at them both and motioned for them to step into the building.

“Thank you for coming here so fast”, he said while guiding the way through the hallways in the direction of the swimming pool. The two Deputies shone their flashlights into the dark classrooms to check if there was someone hiding. “I am sorry that I had to make this call again when I already caused you unnecessary work the last time around when it was a false alarm. But this time I am sure that there was splashing from the pool when I passed by and when I stopped, I heard people talking. I may be old but my doctor always tells me that my hearing is that of a lynx.”

“But you know, I turned 70 just two weeks ago and my body isn’t the same it used to be when I was younger, so I didn’t think it would be a good idea to face the burglars all by myself. My wife wouldn’t let me live it down if I would have broken my hip again because I tried to stop some intruders from banging up the class rooms. So instead of calling the emergency hotline I directly gave the sheriff station a call because I know that there are Deputies on duty at night. You know, when they started this active shift, a lot of people found it a bit strange and unsettling in a small town like this, but with the rising crime rates in the area it’s actually not that big of a surprise.”

“It’s really a shame to think about all the property damage that has been done around town in the last few years. The youth just doesn’t have any respect for other people’s belongings anymore. And mind you, me and my fellows did have our fair share of adventures that might not always have been on the right side of the law in the past, I won’t deny that, but what they do these days is nearly unbelievable. As if their parents don’t teach them basic etiquette. And how many times they targeted the school.”

“I remember this one boy many years ago. He actually got caught, but refused to snitch out his friends. That was very noble of him, but these boys did do a lot of damage to the place and he paid for that all by himself. 150 hours of community service he did for that. But it taught him! He works as a nurse now. In the exact same retirement home he did his service at. And he is easily the friendliest staff at that place. My older sister lives there and she can’t stop praising him. Well, if I remember correctly, wasn’t that boy your older brother, Deputy Castiglione?”

For the first time in what felt like eternity the old man stopped talking and turned to look at Luciana, who nodded with a pressed fake smile. 

Mr. Devaney already opened his mouth to continue with his musing about the rotten youth of the modern days when a loud crash was heard from the end of the hallway.

Judith hand immediately fell onto the weapon at her side. Luciana did the same.

“That came from the swimming pool”, the security guard whispered. “The door on the right at the end of the hallway.”

Luciana nodded and motioned to Mr. Devaney to stay where he was. Then she followed Judith who already made her way to said door. 

The two Deputies positioned themselves at each side of the door. While Lucy pulled her weapon, Judy leaned forwards to take a look through the window in the wooden door.

The swimming pool seemed calm. Pale light from the moon casted long shadows on the tiles that were clearly wet along the edge of the pool. Dry leaves were specking the floor alongside some dirt and a few thin sticks. Confused, the Deputy let her eyes wander to the pool itself. On the illuminated strips of water, it was clearly recognisable that the surface was rippled by small waves. As if something or someone was moving around inside the water.

She pulled back and faced her colleague who was eyeing her.

“I didn’t see anyone”, she informed Lucy in a hushed tone. “But there were puddles on the floor and the water is moving. Someone is in the pool. There is also a whole lot of dirt and leaves and sticks in the water and on the floor. Looks like someone was trying to make sure the swimming team would have an unpleasant surprise when they would come back after the summer break.” 

“Fucking kids who think they’re funny”, Luciana murmured. “Because of those asshats I missed the night of the roses.”

Judith just rolled her eyes and motioned for them to move in on three.

While she mouthed the countdown, she pulled her weapon too. Might as well give those kids a good scare so they’d think twice about doing stuff like that the next time.

When she reached zero, Lucy carefully pushed the door open and moved in with Judy closely following behind.

“Maple Grove Sheriff Department. Nobody moves!”

There wasn’t a big reaction to the entrance of the two Deputies and it only took a few seconds for the two to realise why.

There was a boy in the pool. His washed-out blue hair was soaked and his eyes were red and swollen. He was struggling to prop himself up at the edge of the pool, seeing how the yellow hoodie pulled him down with the weight of the water it had soaked up. Another thing Judy registered were the purple swollen fingers on his right hand that he carefully tried not to move or to put any weight on.

The boy looked directly into Judy’s eyes. His lips were trembling and the dark irises shining with tears.

“Please”, he nearly sobbed and pointed his swollen hand in the direction of two other boys next to the pool, who Judy registered just now. The movement visibly caused him a lot of pain, but the Deputy realised that he couldn’t possibly use the other arm if he didn’t want to submerge back into the water.

Lucy was already kneeling next to the other two drenched boys. The tall one was shivering like a leaf. His eyes were unseeing, staring at the other end of the pool. The sheer layer of cold sweat over his pale and clammy skin a clear sign of the shock the boy must be experiencing for a reason the two Deputies could only guess.

In his arms he held the third boy. Cuddled up by the tall one’s lanky arms, his head rested against the other boy’s shoulder; chin fallen on his friend’s arms that nearly covered his whole torso. His eyes were closed and his arms fell limp over the other’s legs, that were framed around the unmoving body like a protective border. But something about the still body seemed wrong.

Before Luciana could reach out to the boy’s, the shaky voice of the blue-haired kid who was still inside the pool grabbed her attention. 

“Please”, the boy in the pool whispered again. His voice full of desperation and pain. Hoarse, like he had been screaming for a long time up until a few seconds ago. Breaking, even when saying this short word. “He needs help.”

“Is your friend hurt?” Judy, ever the more sensitive person, immediately tried to gain the boy’s attention to prevent him from going into shock as well. At the same time, she got to her knees to carefully grab his uninjured arms. The boy had to get out of the water before he grabbed a cold or worse.

“Don’t help me”, the blue-haired protested weakly as Judith hauled him out of the water way easier than she expected. “Help Theo first. He needs your help more than I do.”

He was starting to panic. His bottom lip was trembling and his eyes were overflowing with tears. Judy inched closer to the huddled form on the wet floor, careful not to distress the boy any further.

“We will call an ambulance right away”, she said softly while reaching for the radio on her shoulder. “Can you tell me what happened to Theo? And what happened to you?”

The boy couldn’t even gather the words to tell Judy what’s wrong, when Lucy realised what had felt off about this scene the hole time, when she tried to take the unconscious boy’s pulse. Hurriedly, she grabbed her own radio to request an ambulance and locked eyes with her colleague. Fear overtaking them as the two realised the gravity of the situation.

“He’s not breathing!”


	2. Yuno Park is a murderer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day of Junior Year was set to be terrible.  
> Two of his friends are missing, one is in a coma and the whole town is on a witch hunt, convinced that he is a psychotic killer.  
> Yuno didn't think that it could get any worse.  
> But the universe proves once again: Yes, yes it can.

_One week later_

Yuno stood in front of his High School without making a move to actually enter the building.

He was already late, but that had been on purpose. His mom had still been out from yesterday and even if she had been awake, she wouldn’t have been in a condition to drive a car. And even if she had been able to start the car and actually drive it, Yuno would have refused. She just got her license back; she didn’t need to lose it again right away.

So instead of making sure to catch the bus, Yuno had prepared breakfast for his Mom so she would have something to eat when she’d finally wake up. Plus, it was a good reason for him to prolong the inevitable.

But now he stood in front of his school but could not bring himself to actually enter it, walk to his class and take part in the lesson.

Because he knew exactly what he had to expect when the other students and probably even some teachers caught sight of him again after a week of basically hiding in his room.

The events of that fateful night hadn’t taken long to be leaked to the town’s folk and now everybody and their mother knew what had happened. Or what they assumed had happened.

It didn’t matter who spread their version of the story. It didn’t matter if it was someone from the police, a nurse, a doctor or even a parent.

What did matter was that someone created a vicious rumour that Yuno committed a terrible crime that night.

If he could, he would have hidden forever. And if his phone hadn’t vibrated just now, he would have turned around and ran back home.

Due to his right arm being engulfed in a dark blue cast from the middle of his biceps down to his knuckles he had to do everything with his weaker hand which made him slower and clumsier. But at least his fingers weren’t swollen anymore and the pain meds finally did their fucking job.

It was a message from Sam. One of the few people who still had Yuno’s back and didn’t try to tear him down.

Just knowing that made his heart slow down and breathing a bit easier.

**Sammy the GiantTM**  
are u not coming 2 school today?  
**_09:17_**  
if it’s cause of people talking shit I’ll protect u  
**_09:17_**  
it’s lonely without u :(  
**_09:18_**  


Yuno couldn’t suppress a smile at the thought of his 6’1 friend sitting in class while he was probably pouting at his phone.

But his smile didn’t last long at the thought of it just being the two of them in school. The thought of just them being in this world.

**U Know Park**  
I’m standing outside  
**_09:20_**  
just needed a lil’ motivation 2 walk in  
**_09:20_**  
u know I would never let u be alone  
**_09:20_**  


So Yuno took a deep breath, stuffed his phone into the pocket of the oversized, purple hoodie and slowly walked up the stairs to the entrance. He pushed the door open and was met with an empty hallway. The relief flooding through him was indescribable. At least he still had some time before he had to face the wrath of his fellow students.

He reached the room of his first class way to fast. Through the window in the door he watched his classmates for a while. Luckily no one looked up to see him standing at the door.

Yuno’s eyes caught on Sam’s light brown hair. The boy was sitting right behind his own empty desk. There was a paper in front of him. Probably some writing exercise, but his best friend was looking out the window without even trying to hide it.

It made Yuno smile sadly. Sam couldn’t even remember what had happened that night. The doctor had said it was because of the shock. The human body tended to just force itself to forget traumatic experiences to protect the brain.

He would never wish that his friend would remember something that would damage his psyche, but Sam not remembering the night because of a traumatic experience put Yuno in the worst place possible.

All the police knew was that two of five kids were missing, one nearly drowned and is now in a coma and the fourth couldn’t even remember leaving the house that night because something so horrible happened that his own body made him forget it to protect his brain.

A storyline like this didn’t look good for the fifth one. And the police really did like to make it easy for themselves.

Yuno shook his head, stopping himself from thinking any further.

There was nothing the police had against him because the narrative they had fabricated was utter bullshit. They could search through the pool as often as they wanted, they could analyse anything they found at the place they had dubbed “the crime scene” and they could look for Casey and Ben as long and far as they wanted. They would never find them.

No one could. Except Sam, Theo and Yuno.

But with Theo in a coma and Sam not remembering what had happened, it was easier said than done. He couldn’t do it all alone and with a broken arm on top of that. He at least needed Sam to remember. Because that was easier done than getting Theo to wake up.

Theo.

Yuno had to press his eyes closed to stop himself from tearing up at the thought of his friend.

If Yuno would have been a bit faster, his friend wouldn’t have been trapped underwater for so long. Maybe then he wouldn’t have fallen into a coma.

It was another train of thoughts Yuno didn’t really want to continue.

He opened his eyes again and looked into the classroom. His presence was still unnoticed and he wished it could stay like that, but he knew that was not possible.

So, he took a deep breath and stepped into the room.

Yuno was sure that it didn’t even take one whole second for all eyes to be on him. He didn’t need to look at the class to know that most of their looks could kill. They felt like lasers. Painfully burning themselves through his clothing and skin into his tender flesh. Leaving ugly burns that would mark him with their disgust forever.

“I’m sorry”, he murmured directed at his teacher who also seemed anything but happy about his arrival. In fact, Mrs. Walker seemed to care so little that she didn’t even scold him or marked his absence in her notebook. “I missed the bus.”

He felt Mrs. Walker’s eyes on him but she didn’t say anything. After what felt like an eternity Yuno finally decided to move towards his seat. Even though he was moving as quickly as he could he still heard the murmur of his teacher when he passed her desk.

“Honey, it would have been better of all of us if you would have stayed home.”

The words settled in his stomach like a cold hard stone and nearly made him miss a leg that was positioned to make him trip.

At the end he made it to his seat in front of Sam without kissing the floor or hearing an insult of any kind.

His best friend had been smiling at him since he stepped into the classroom and as soon as Yuno sat down, a big warm hand settled on his shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze.

Yuno flashed him a wobbly smile over the shoulder and squeezed Sam’s hand briefly. Knowing that Sam was still there for him made this whole situation so much more bearable. Especially when Theo’s empty seat was right next to him, making sure that he wouldn’t forget that he had let his friend down.

Mrs. Walker clearing her throat in front of him made Yuno snap out of his little headspace and look up at her.

“We’re currently working on a writing exercise”, she silently explained while setting the worksheet on Yuno’s desk. “Choose one of the three topics and write down your thoughts about the statement. Please work quietly.”

Yuno nodded while getting the pencil case out of his backpack.

At least he wouldn’t have to talk or interact with his class. He wouldn’t have had the nerves for that at the moment. With all the glares that were still sent his ways, he should probably get used to not talking or interacting with other people.

With a quiet sigh, he gripped his pen and started to read through the instructions.

**∞**

Yuno discreetly watched the last chattering group of students leave the classroom while pretending to sort his papers.

After the bell rang, everyone had been in a hurry to pack their things and go to the next class, just like every other day. But for Yuno, getting out into the full hallway sounded like an absolute nightmare.

Facing his English class had already taken a lot more courage than he’d like to admit. Only thinking about being confronted with the judgmental stares and badly concealed whispers of the whole school were enough to make him want to pack up and go home.

When he had seen Joseph and Hannah Aubrey, Ben’s parents, at the sheriff station last week, they had told him very clearly that they believed him when he said that he didn’t do anything to Ben or Theo and Casey for that matter. But he didn’t know if Ben’s older sister Stella shared their point of view, so he was rather nervous when thinking about how he could cross ways with the senior at any given moment.

Totally unaware of what was going on around him, Yuno nearly got a heart attack when he was tackled from behind and almost hoisted out of his seat to be embraced by the long limbs of his best friend.

Laughter bubbled in the back of his throat, as he reached out to pat Sam on the head, which caused the other boy to snuggle even closer and rest his chin on the smallers shoulder.

“I’ve been waiting to do that since you stepped in here”, Sam murmured. “I hated how everyone stared at you like they knew what happened.

Yuno’s heart clenched at that. Sometimes he wished Sam’s words had a different meaning behind them. But he couldn’t expect that. Not when he was still to much of a coward to tell his best friend the truth. Not when he knew that Sam didn’t feel that way.

“If you hadn’t texted me, I would have turned around and left”, Yuno silently confessed. “I was so scared to come here.”

“I’ll beat up everyone that gives you shit”, Sam promised while squeezing him. “Even if it’s a teacher. I’ll deck them.”

Yuno giggled at his friend’s earnest tone, imagining how it would look like when Sam Leeuw, the friendly giant, would punch a teacher.

“Slow down Rambo, beating up the school up has to wait. We’ll be late for History.”

**∞**

Walking through the hallways was hell.

As soon as Yuno stepped out of the classroom, all eyes were on him. It seemed that everyone stopped what they had been doing just to stare at him like he was something they had never seen.

Sam slung his arm around his shoulder as a sign of silent support, but that didn’t prevent Yuno from hearing what the other students where whispering.

_He killed Ben Aubrey and Casey Randolph in cold blood. They were friends. It sickens me._

_Friends? Casey and his friends bullied him for years. I’m sure he just got close to him to get revenge. This shit feels like the Ted Bundy Tapes._

_I heard he bashed in their heads with a stone and buried them somewhere in the woods. And then he lured Theo Posey and Sam Leeuw to the swimming pool where he tried to drown them._

_Sam was so traumatized by what he had to witness that he just forgot the whole night. That’s like fucking crazy! Imagine how horrible it must have been for that to happen._

_What a fucking psycho!_

_What did you expect? Didn’t you know that his mother is an addict? Also, his father left the family like years ago and never returned. CPS never did something to take him away. That’s probably why he is so fucked up._

_Why isn’t he locked up? He literally killed two people and tried to kill two more. Why is he walking around like a free man? He could go on a rampage for all we know._

The whispering stopped when someone shouldered into Yuno with such a force that the boy lost his balance and would have fallen to the floor if Sam hadn’t stabilised him right away.

He looked over his shoulder and locked eyes with Mio Chablonsky, the captain of the soccer team. His teammates behind him. All of them wearing the varsity jacket of the team.

Yuno stared at it. The dark green with the yellow stripe down both arms. He knew that jacket all too well. Ben forgot it more than once at his house.

“Fucking psycho killer”, Mio snarled and spat at Yuno’s feet. The whole hallway held their breath when the soccer team captain turned to face Sam. “Why are you still hanging out with him? He killed Ben and Casey. He tried to kill Theo and you. Is he threatening you? You have several other friends in this school who can protect you. So why are you still on his side?”

The suspension was unbearable. Up until now, Sam hasn’t said anything to anyone that wasn’t Yuno about this fateful night.

A tiny part of Yuno was scared that the moment, where Sam would turn his back on him, had finally arrived.

“If I were you, I would continue walking.” Sam’s voice was so cold that it seemed to freeze over the hallway. Yuno had never heard him talk like that. “And if you come near Yuno ever again, I will break your fucking jaw.”

He lifted his head, facing no one in particular but everyone knew that his next words were aimed towards them.

“If I hear anyone talking stuff like what I heard just now, I will make sure that they won’t be talking at all for the next weeks. You don’t know Yuno, you don’t know our friendship and you sure as hell don’t know what happened. So quit making up shit.”

With that he grabbed Yuno’s hand and pulled him down the hallway. Away from their shocked classmates.

They kept walking until they were the only ones in the halls. But Sam didn’t stop. He had a specific destination in mind.

Namely a storage room. He pulled the door open and maneuvered both of them inside, turning on the lights and closing the door forcefully.

It didn’t seem to be used frequently. The only thing inside apart from a few dusty brooms was a half empty cupboard.

The bell rang outside. They should have been in the classroom for their History lesson. Yuno turned around to face his friend.

“What are we doing here?” It came out harsher than intended and seeing how his tone made Sam lower his eyes made Yuno feel even worse about himself.

“I just want to wait until the other students are in their classes”, Sam murmured while playing with the seam of his sweater. “This day has been stressful enough.”

His big hazel eyes fixated themselves onto Yuno’s own. Looking right into his soul, slowly unfolding all these feelings he’s been trying to hide. New ones as well as old ones. It made Yuno’s heart beat faster. Maybe, if Sam just looked a little bit longer, he could see how painfully hard Yuno had fallen for him. How much in love his best friend was with him.

But Yuno broke the eye contact before anything like that could happen.

Sam made a small sad noise in the back of his throat and Yuno wished he could just smack himself over the head. How the hell would Sam even know about his gigantic crush on him if his best friend didn’t even know that Yuno was gay. Or whatever. It wasn’t like Yuno had been in love with anyone else ever before his feelings for Sam turned from friendship into love.

Heck, he was so deep in the closet it was borderline surprising that he never ended up in Narnia by now.

His train of thoughts was harshly interrupted when two big hands cupped his face with utmost care and slowly made him look up again.

In that moment, Yuno just may have forgotten how breathing worked.

Sam’s face was just inches away from his own. His eyes still piercing into Yuno’s. Impossibly big and shining with so much emotions and intensity that Yuno’s throat closed up. Then, he slowly averted his look down to his lips and gradually started to move in while angling Yuno’s head carefully.

Yuno himself just continued to stare at the wall next to Sam’s head. His brain activity at the moment was about 2% and these were just for panicking. This had to be a dream. Did he even get up this morning?

Sam’s warm breath ghosting over his lips made him tense up even more and the last part of his working brain decided to shut down too. All he could do now was close his eyes tightly and hope that his alarm clock would just let him have this one thing.

Because this had to be a dream. It couldn’t be reality, because in no existing universe would Sam kiss him in a broom closet. Hell, there was no universe where Sam would kiss him at any imaginable place because gorgeous Netherlandic beauty Samuel Leeuw, who gave the best hugs with his long lanky arms and would always have a shoulder to lean onto for Yuno, would never in a million years requite his feelings, because his best friend was straight as a ruler. One of those mean wooden ones that didn’t bend and gave you splinters.

Sam’s lips were so close already that Yuno could nearly feel them. He closed his eyes even tighter and held his breath.

But then everything stopped.

Sam scoffed and even though his breath was warm it made Yuno freeze up. Then he chuckled darkly in the back of his throat. It was a sound Yuno had never heard from his best friend. A sound so dark, Sam would never be capable of producing it.

“Oh Yuno, you wish Sam would do this, don’t you?”

This voice. It had haunted his dreams since they returned a week ago. Woken him up in the middle of the night, sweating and gasping for air. Yuno would recognize it everywhere.

And when he opened his eyes, he wasn’t welcomed by Sam’s shining orbs, but two pools of black ink and a dark smirk, that seemed like a grimace on his friend’s soft features.

“You can’t be here”, Yuno hissed while getting out of the demon’s grip around his face. A shiver ran down his spine, but he did his best to not look intimidated. “We sealed the door. There is no way you can be here!”

“Well yes, but actually no”, the demon replied with this deep scratching voice that made Yuno’s stomach churn. Seeing Sam being used as a mouthpiece for this creature made his skin crawl. “You see, while you were trying to get poor Theo out, I projected a small piece of my power into our beloved Sammy here.”

The demon almost lovingly patted the spot just above Sam’s heart. Yuno’s blood started to boil at the gesture. How dare this creature take over his best friend’s body?

“Why would you reveal yourself to me?” None of this made sense at all.

“Because I have a very generous offer for you, my friend”, the demon replied, its grin stretching even wider. “I want you to open the seal on any passage you may like for me so I can pass through into your realm.”

There was no way Yuno could do that. Closing all the doors had cost them so much already. If he opened one of the portals, all of their efforts and sacrifices would be for nothing.

“And what if I won’t do that?”

“Ben and Casey are still in my world. If you won’t do it for me, I will hurt them so badly that they will beg me to let them open it for me.”

The smirk had disappeared and there was an intensity burning in those dark eyes as the demon took one step after another into Yuno’s direction, leaving the frightened boy with no other option than to take a step back with each step in his direction.

“I will cause them pain you can’t even imagine and I will only stop when they just have enough power left to open the seal for me. And then I will tell them that all of their agony was caused by you. Because you left them behind and refused an offer that would have saved them. And when they did what I wanted them to do, I will bring them with me and I will kill them in front of your eyes. Slowly and painfully, and they will be screaming for you or Sam or Theo to save them but you won’t be able to. And they will die in agony with the knowledge that their most trusted friends did nothing to save them.”

By now Yuno was pressed against the wall, the demon just a few inches away from him. The violent image it just created made the Korean want to vomit. He couldn’t risk this thing hurting his two friends. But if he broke one of the seals there wouldn’t be a world for Ben and Casey to return to. He had to find another way.

“So, I’m giving you one last chance, Yuno. Open one of the seals for me.”

Yuno pressed his lips together, leaning his head as far back as possible. The creature’s eyes were drilling themselves into his, daring him to answer.

“No.”  


The demon took a step back. Bewildered. More annoyed than surprised that its threat didn’t result in the answer it had wished.  


“No?”

“No”, Yuno confirmed pushing himself away from the wall. “Because you neither have Ben or Casey in your clutches nor do you know where they are. I know you. You never would’ve come here and made this offer if you already had a chance to break one of the seals.”

With a dark chuckle the demon turned around and walked to the other side of the broom closet. It stood there for a moment shaking its head as if it couldn’t believe that it had been figured out, before it turned back around again.

“You are so much smarter than everyone gives you credit for”, it said while smirking again. “Well, this sadly makes my whole plan a bit more difficult, but I will still be able to enjoy the part where I make everyone in this town believe that you murdered Ben and Casey. With Theo in a coma and Sam not remembering anything it will be quite difficult to convince everyone that you are actually a victim too.”

Yuno blanched. He hadn’t thought of that.

“You- “

“Yes, I”, the demon sneered. “Demonic possession makes the victim forget what happens during the time the demon takes control. But with a small trick I just made Sam forget the whole night until the ambulance arrived.” Its grin was so impossibly wide that Yuno was scared it would rip Sam’s lips open. “Without anyone backing you up, no one will believe you, Yuno, this whole town already looks down on you. With this, I’ll just make everyone’s assumption about kids like you true. So maybe you should think about my offer again. It’s the only thing that can save you. We’ll hear from each other.”

With that, the darkness began to fade out of its eyes and the grin shrank back down. Finally, Sam’s warm eyes and soft features took over his face again. A bit dazed, he furrowed his eyebrows and slowly brought his hands up to touch the side of his face with a confused look.

“Why do my cheeks hurt so much?”

Just as the demon had said, Sam didn’t remember what just happened.

Yuno wasn’t able to school his expression in time before Sam realised something was wrong. Completely frozen he watched as worry took over his best friend’s features and he reached out to take Yuno’s hands in his.

“Is something wrong?” The concern in Sam’s voice made Yuno swallow around the big lump that had formed in his throat. “Is it because what everyone said? Please don’t listen to them. They don’t know the truth.”

Yuno couldn’t listen to him. All he could do was stare into these warm, dark orbs that had been so cold and hard just seconds ago. Somewhere in them it was still lurking, Yuno knew that. And the realisation was another defeat.

How could he trust Sam with anything if there was the chance that the demon was listening? It could take over his best friend’s body at any time and use everything it learned from Yuno against him.

Yuno swallowed down his tears and bit his tongue. Now he was truly alone.

“No, Sam”, he interrupted the other boy. “I just hate that they come for you too. Just because you are on my side. The whole town already made up their mind about my guilt. Now it’s just like they’re watching a football game: Waiting for the police to score against me.”

“The police would have to plant evidence to have anything against you”, Sam protested and squeezed Yuno’s hand to emphasise his point.

If only Sam knew of the new threat that just reared its head.

But Yuno couldn’t tell his best friend about the demon residing inside him. He didn’t want to burden Sam with that. He had enough on his plate with the guilt that was eating him up because he didn’t remember. Yuno could see how much it plagued his friend that he was unable to unburden him of the accusations against his person.

“I know”, he answered instead and tried to smile at least a tiny bit. “It still hurts.”

Without another word, Sam engulfed him in a tight hug. Yuno immediately melted into it. His cheek pressed against Sam’s shoulder, his hands gripping at the back of his friend’s shirt and his eyes tightly closed.

He breathed in the smell of the washing powder Sam’s mother always used and let the familiarity of the situation calm him down.

“We should head to class”, he murmured into Sam’s arm after what felt like minutes. “Were already late.”

“You’re right”, Sam sighed and untangled himself. One arm still resting over Yuno’s shoulder as he pulled the door open.

The bright light from the hallway made Sam wince and squeeze his eyes shut. Concerned, Yuno raked his eyes over the others profile.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah”, Sam replied while massaging his temples with his free hand. “I just got a killer headache.”

Headache. One of the main side effects of demonic possession.

“I have some painkillers in my backpack. I’ll give you some when we’re in class.”

Sam smiled at him gratefully and with that, the two boys made their way down the hall to their History classroom.

**∞**

When Yuno stepped out into the late afternoon September sun, he immediately realised what everyone had been whispering about inside. The squad car parked on the curb in front of the school stuck out like a sore thumb. Yuno recognised the two Deputies leaning against it as the women who were at the swimming pool and saved Theo’s life.

Dread filled him. There was no use in denying that they were here for him and trying to escape this would look even worse for him. So, he just thanked whatever deity that may have been listening to him that Sam had left after 6th period because his headache wouldn’t let up, gripped the straps of his backpack a bit harder and made his way down the steps.

“Are you even allowed to just come here and pick me up from school?”, he asked as soon as he arrived at the car.

Deputy Castiglione, he still sees her sitting over Theo and performing CPR, pushed herself away from the vehicle and took off her sunglasses of before opening her mouth.

“We are here to take you in for a statement”, she replied. “There is no permission from a parent needed. But you have the right to refuse making a statement without a parent or a lawyer present.”

Yuno wanted to cry. He had spent so many hours at the sheriff station the past week, answering the same questions over and over again, while being confronted with deputies and detectives that just waited for a slip up, so they could make up a story about how he killed Ben and Casey and tried to do the same with Theo and Sam. They sometimes kept him overnight, giving him no other choice than to sleep in the room they put him in for questioning.

“What else do you even want?” His voice had a tiny hysterical edge to it, but Yuno couldn’t care less. He just wanted to go home. Get some real sleep before the nightmares came again. Just some rest from all of this. “I’ve already answered every fucking question about ten times. I nearly spent the whole last week at the sheriff station. All I want is some fucking peace and quiet without anyone trying to accuse me of murdering two of my best friends!”  


Now Yuno was really getting worked up. All the sleepless nights catching up with him, the detectives insinuating that he killed his two friends while twisting every word that came out of his mouth, everyone commenting about how he was a psycho and they knew that something had to be wrong with him all along, regarding the circumstances he was brought up.

“And why would you pull up in front of my school in a squad car. Isn’t it already enough that someone leaked the whole investigation to the town’s newspaper on the first fucking day? Did you really need to make such a big fucking scene? People keep staring at me and as soon as I show up, they start whispering about what happened as if they’d been there. But they weren’t and they don’t know what happened and I’m sick and tired of everyone just assuming everything because they read a poorly researched article about the investigation in the newspaper.”

The two Deputies looked taken aback after this little explosion. Deputy Castiglione seemed a bit overwhelmed, but Deputy Hartley proved, just like that night, that she was the more sensitive half of the team.

She stepped forwards and after hovering a short moment she put a hand on Yuno’s shoulder and squeezed it softly.

“Just take a deep breath”, she instructed with her soothing voice and it actually helped him to breathe past that lump in his throat and fill up his lungs properly for the first time today. She smiled when she saw that it helped Yuno calm down. “That someone leaked the investigation is unforgivable and I assure you that we are working on finding out who did it. Picking you up here was a decision we made so we don’t take your home away as your last safe place. I promise that we’ll make it as fast as possible so that you get enough sleep tonight.”

Deputy Castiglione opened the back door of the car and motioned for Yuno to get in. He looked at her with pleading eyes.

“I’m sorry kid, but we’re trying to help you”, she said with a grimace. “You can still make use of your rights and call your mom. Or a lawyer.”

No, none of these two things were an option. His mom was probably drunk and a lawyer would take hours to come here. It wasn’t like he hadn’t already made his statement without his Mom or a lawyer present and he also wouldn’t change it, so maybe he should just get into the car and get this over with.

The thought that he also had an option that combined both things was quickly pushed to the back of Yuno’s mind. It wasn’t like his option had time to just come out here from New York City and he also didn’t really want to contact him and ask for his help.

“Why is there even another questioning necessary?”, Yuno sighed as he got into the car. He looked up to Deputy Castiglione who was about to close the door.

“Because this time were not bringing you in as a suspect, but as a witness.”


	3. Mama, didn't mean to make you cry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sitting in this room and waiting for the two deputies to question him again should really be the last uncomfortable thing Yuno had to to today. 
> 
> Sadly, it was not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanna thank my beautiful beta suprlunary who read through my published chapters and will read through my future chapters to detect the mistakes my stupid ass couldn't.
> 
> Love you girl <3
> 
> Have fun reading :)
> 
> P.S. Maybe she should read through my notes too

Yuno was tapping his fingers on the cool surface of the metal table. He’s been waiting for what felt like an eternity. The two Deputies hadn’t told him anything else expect the part that he wouldn’t be questioned as a suspect. Just something about protocol and not being allowed to give more information.

The rest of the drive had been silent. At one point, Yuno had texted his Mom that he would come home later. He didn’t check if he got an answer, not even when he had to hand the phone in before being escorted to an interrogation room. And finally, they had read him his rights again before they left the room.

And here he was, still waiting for the actual questioning to start. Deputy Hartley returned shortly after they had exited to bring him a sandwich and a bottle of water.

It felt like years had passed since he took a bite of the ham and cheese sandwich and then nearly vomited in the corner of the interrogation room. His stomach kept churning uncomfortably, so Yuno decided that it was smarter to just stick to the water. 

He was just about to ask for a bathroom break out of pure boredom, when the door opened and the two Deputies stepped into the room. Deputy Castiglione shot him a small encouraging smile before she sat down next to Deputy Hartley in front of Yuno. 

“Please excuse the long wait”, Deputy Castiglione apologized while her colleague set up the recording device. “There were still some bureaucratic questions that we needed to clear prior to our conversation. But now that we are all set, this should be finished quickly, assuming that you will be cooperating, which I’m also not worried about.” 

Deputy Hartley glanced at her co-worker while flashing a small, amused smile. Then she pressed the play button on the device in her hand. 

“It is the 24th of August, 5.46 p.m. Deputy Sheriff Judith Harley and Deputy Sheriff Luciana Castiglione are taking Mr. Yuno Park’s witness statement regarding the events of the night of the 14th to the 15th of August at the swimming pool of the Maple Grove Central High School. Case Number AA-200569.” 

She then fixated her eyes onto Yuno and raised the corners of her lips into a discreet, encouraging smile before she continued. 

“Can you tell us what happened on the night of the 14th of August at the pool of the Maple Grove Central High School. Take your time and try to tell us as much as you can remember. Every small detail could be of importance.” 

It was all so familiar in a way it shouldn’t be. A sixteen-year-old should not feel any familiarity when being questioned by the police. But Yuno had told this story so many times already that one could wake him up at 3 a.m. and ask him to retell it, and he would without leaving anything out. 

“Sam, Ben, Theo, Casey and me, we met up around 10 p.m. on the parking lot of our school.” Yuno was barley one sentence into his statement, when he was already interrupted. 

“Could you please state the full names of all the parties involved?” Deputy Hartley’s voice wasn’t harsh or anything like that, it was nothing but patient and calm. It was clear, that she wanted to do this right and properly. 

“Samuel Leeuw, Ben Aubrey, Theodor Posey, Cassander Randolph and me, Yuno Park, met up around 10 p.m. on the parking lot of Maple Grove Central High School”, Yuno started his statement again. 

“There is a trick to open the door to the parking lot from the outside. You basically need to kick the door shut with as much strength as you have to, so it closes properly, so most of the time it isn’t fully closed. Students use this to get into school to get books they forgot or to play pranks all the time. So, you basically just need to pull the door as hard as you can and it will open. And that’s what we did.” 

“We just wanted to fool around a bit in the pool. I don’t even remember whose idea it originally was but we were all bored and so we didn’t really think about any consequences. So, we just went in and went directly to the pool. We didn’t plan to do anything, really, just hang out.” 

“At first, we just sat on the benches and talked, but then Ben and Casey went out again to get us some snacks. Sam, Theo and I stayed. We were sitting around for quite a while, so at one point we got up to walk around or just stand for a bit. It wasn’t unusual for Ben and Casey to take their time, because both of them are easily distracted, so we didn’t really think anything about them taking so long.” 

“Theo and I were standing at the edge of the pool facing Sam, who was still sitting on the bench. So, our backs were facing the water, when Theo suddenly tripped backwards and right into me. I wasn’t prepared to catch him so we both fell backwards.” 

“Because we were standing so close to the edge of the pool, we fell right on the ledge. It all happened so fast, all I remember is my arm bending under Theo’s weight and then a loud crack. The pain hit so hard that the next thing I knew was Sam kneeling next to me and worriedly looking at the water. I didn’t know how much time had passed, but Theo didn’t resurface and we got worried.” 

“So, Sam jumped in to get Theo out. But when Sam re-emerged, he told me that he couldn’t get Theo up himself. My fingers had already started to swell up and turn purple at that point, but I was so scared that Theo could die at this moment, that I just jumped in and tried to help Sam as well as I could.” 

“I never thought that a body could be that heavy under water but with his clothes weighing him down and our clothes weighing us down it was a real struggle to get Theo to the surface. At one point I was sure we would all drown. But we got up and Sam hauled him out of the pool. I couldn’t get out myself, my arm hurt too much.” 

“Then Sam realised that Theo wasn’t breathing and immediately started to perform CPR just like we learned in health class. I remember him saying “He’s gonna die, oh my god, Yuno, he’s gonna die” over and over again. And I could basically see how his mind shut down slowly and I couldn’t do anything, because I couldn’t get out of that fucking pool. And then Sam just stopped and gathered Theo in his arms and just stared into nothing. I’m sure I would have had a panic attack if you two wouldn’t have burst through the door in that exact moment. And – “ 

Yuno’s voice broke off in the end due to all the emotions bubbling up. Even though the story he just told was a lie, the emotions in it were not. The pain of his arm pulsing through his whole body, the fear over losing Theo, the helplessness when Sam totally zoned out and he couldn’t get out of the water. But also, the terrifying panic while he was trying to seal the portal, clawing through his ribcage and closing around his heart, slowly crushing it, taking away his ability to breathe. 

Deputy Castiglione’s voice cut through the haze starting to cloud his mind and prevented him from fully slipping into a panic attack. 

“Why didn’t Theo resurface after he fell into the pool? He knew how to swim, didn’t he?” 

“I don’t know”, Yuno replied. “Maybe he blacked out and as a result of collapsing against me or hit his head while falling into the pool. But with how he fell that wouldn’t have been possible. My arm was in between his body and the sharp ledge. But he knew how to swim so he should have resurfaced right after he fell into the water. He must have blacked out or something.” 

Deputy Castiglione nodded and wrote something down. 

“Neither Ben’s nor Casey’s parents said that they heard someone coming into their houses that night.” 

It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. As if they had caught him in a lie. But Yuno had this whole story planned through to the last detail. He wouldn’t slip up. So, he looked directly into Deputy Hartley’s eyes when he answered. 

“They also didn’t realise that their sons left the house. They told us that they would go back to one of their houses to get some snacks. I don’t know whose house. And I don’t know if they ever made it there. When I realised that they hadn’t come back I was already getting prepped for an emergency surgery.” 

“You boys haven’t been friends for a very long time.” 

What did the amount of time they had been friends with each other matter? Would it have been any different if all of them had been his friends for several years like Sam and Theo? 

“Sam and I have been friends since kindergarten and I’ve known Ben for a long time already since he used to live in the same street. Theo has been a classmate and friend of mine since second grade and it’s impossible to not know Casey in this town. But you are right, the five of us haven’t been friends with each for a very long time. Only since early spring.” 

“And what was the reason for it?” 

“What kind of a question is this?” Yuno was perplexed about how dumb this question was. Did they think that he had been sitting in his basement for months to plan out the perfect scenario to get all of them to be friends and then kill them? “Initially, we were teamed up for the annual clean-up day of the school premises and we got along quite well, so we exchanged phone numbers and agreed to meet up again. We just clicked and thus we sticked together.” 

“Casey and his friends have been known to bully other kids at school. Including you.” 

And the old trope of the bullied kid taking revenge on its tormentors. Of course, they would choose this as his motive. He had the perfect background for this role, hadn’t he? 

“That statement is wrong. Casey’s _friends_ were known to downright torment other kids at school, because of whatever reason they could think of. Casey never took part in any of this and he told us how much he hated that he let all of it happen, because he was too afraid to speak up against them. He apologised to me several times and stood up for me when an altercation became violent after they confronted me, because I “stole” their friend. He cut all ties to them after he finally found the courage to do so, because he was pressured into being friends with those kids, because their parents were business partners of his father. Casey was as much of a victim of them as I was. So, to answer your next question: No, I never had any bad feelings towards Casey and all I ever wanted to do was protect him from all the harm in this world. And the same goes for Sam, Theo and Ben.” 

“Your teachers stated that you have always been rather quiet and kept to yourself.” 

“And how is that important to this investigation? Yes, I’ve always been quiet because I was very shy and I kept to myself because basically everyone had some kind of prejudice against me. This town isn’t big. Everybody knows everybody. So, I wasn’t really keen on meeting new people, because from experience, they just tend to pity me and would never be comfortable around me, because of this cloud looming over me. I had Sam and that was enough for me.” 

“The school’s social worker allowed us insight into your file. It states here that your mother is an alcoholic and that there is no father in the picture. Did you ever experience any violence due to your mother’s drinking habits?” 

Yuno balled his hands into fists under the table. There was the reason why connecting with other people in this town was so hard for him. Everyone saw him as the poor child of an alcoholic that was left by the father of her child and then just assumed that he certainly must experience violence at home because of his circumstances. None of these people knew his mother personally, none of them made the effort, but funnily enough everyone had an opinion of her. 

“My mother is an alcoholic, not abusive. And millions of kids in this country grow up without a father. Mine at least pays child support. I don’t really know what you were trying to get at with this question.” 

“Did you ever think about doing something to all the people who have wronged you?” 

And that was when Yuno definitely had enough. Questioning him as a witness, what a funny fucking joke. He had enough of everyone and their Mom making up their own fucking story about him as if they fucking knew him. 

For the first time in his life, Yuno was so angry that he could have cried. His throat closed up with anger and he tightened his fists under the table until he felt his fingernails bury themselves into the soft skin of his palms. He had enough. 

„No, I never thought about that”, he hissed while blinking back the tears of anger. “And do you know why? Because I am not a fucking psychopath like this whole fucking town believes. Everyone who watched the Ted Bundy Tapes thinks they can psycho-analyse me. Like having an absentee father and an alcoholic mother automatically means you’re some kind of fuck up that never experienced love and support in their life and now has to compensate with killing people.” 

“Just for the record, I have a great relationship with my mother. Struggling with an addiction doesn’t make you neglectful or abusive. She is a great person who fights to ensure that I am happy and cared for with every breath she takes. My mother is a better person than a lot of people in this town. She is the best, but I don’t expect all this narrow-minded small-town people that wear their own asses as hats to notice that.” 

“And why the fuck would I want to kill my only friends? Some of the few people who make me feel happy and understood who cherish and support me. These past few months were some of the best of my life. So, why would I do that? There is no motherfucking plausible motive.” 

“I will not stand by and let the media paint me as the main character of a fantastic story they spin to sell some papers. I’m a real person and this is a real life you’re destroying. You have no evidence at all. What you’re trying to do is building up a case on the fact that my family situation isn’t like the picture-perfect image of a happy family. Do whatever the fuck you want but you have no solid evidence against me.” 

“And I fucking know that Mr. Randolph is breathing down the whole precinct’s neck and is trying to push this investigation. But let me tell you this: You may be scared of Casey’s father but I am not. I won’t let him ruin my life because he thinks that I have a bad influence on Casey. The only bad influence in Casey’s life is his father himself but he’s too far up his own ass to realise that.” 

The two women just stared at him. Deputy Hartley’s mouth was hanging open just the tiniest bit when she exchanged a look with her colleague. 

“Well – “, she started, looking at Yuno again. “I think these were all the questions we had. So, I think we can wrap this up.” 

“Agreed”, Deputy Castiglione approved with a small lopsided grin. “You were probably told already, but as long as the investigations are taking place you are not allowed to leave town and please hold yourself ready for further questioning.” 

Both of them got up and motioned Yuno to follow them out of the interrogation room. 

While Deputy Castiglione already went ahead to check out Yuno’s stuff that he had left at the front desk, Deputy Hartley waited patiently until Yuno had gathered the remains of the sandwich. A light smile was on her lips when she held the door open for him. 

“I’m sorry for these questions”, she said while they walked down the corridor. “Our superior only authorized the questioning if we included them. We know that this investigation is treated very differently, because the whole Randolph-Clan is on the Sheriff’s back. They want results and they want them fast.” She stopped, turning around to face Yuno and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing softly. “The first thing they teach us at the Academy is to never promise anything, but I promise that we won’t let the Randolphs influence this investigation to their will. We will find out the truth. I promise that.” 

“Please”, Yuno replied, voice thick with emotions. “Just prove that I didn’t do this to my friends.” You don’t want to find out the truth went unsaid. 

Deputy Hartley smiled again, then she turned around and led Yuno into the entrance hall where Deputy Castiglione was already waiting with his stuff. 

“Do you need a ride home?”, she asked, as she handed him his backpack and his phone. 

“No, thank you”, Yuno declined with a tired smile. “I think a walk would do me good. To sort out my thoughts.” 

The two deputies nodded understandingly and bid their goodbyes. 

Yuno murmured a quiet goodbye in return, when his eyes fell onto the clock over the entrance door. His tired brain struggled to recognise the time at first, but when it finally did, Yuno’s eyes widened comically. It was only a few minutes until the clock would hit 7 p.m. His heart skipped a beat. As Yuno hurried out of the sheriff station, he turned on his phone to check for any missed calls. 

His mother was probably out of her mind with worry by now. How could she not when her only son, who was currently under investigation for an alleged double homicide, texted her that he had been taken in for yet another questioning and then disappeared from the surface of earth. 

His prediction proved itself to be true when the screen lit up and listed him 27 missed calls from his mother. Before he could even do anything, the screen lit up with yet another incoming call. Yuno picked up immediately. 

“I’m okay mom”, he said, before she could even think about panicking. All he heard was a relieved sigh on the other end of the line. “They wanted to question me as a witness. Not as a suspect. I didn’t even need a lawyer.” 

_“You shouldn’t step a foot into that station without a lawyer, Yuno”_ , his mother scolded. She slurred lightly and seemed to require a lot of concentration to form these words. 

She was drunk. 

“Lawyers are expensive, Mama”, Yuno said quietly. “I can manage.” 

Her next breath sounded like a supressed sob. 

_“I’m so sorry, honey”_ , she said after a moment. _“I can’t pick you up. When I saw your text I – I just –just grabbed the first bottle of wine I could find. And after I couldn’t reach you, I panicked and now I’ve nearly finished this bottle of Gin we still had at home and – .“_ She took a shuddering breath. _“Oh Yuno, I can’t find the car keys, but – “_

Yuno cut her off before she could finish that sentence. 

“No Mama, it’s okay”, he assured her. “You’re probably way over the legal limit anyways and you just got your permission back.” He hesitated before he added the last bit. “And you know I don’t like it when you drive when you were drinking.” 

A sniffle was the answer. 

_“I’m sorry.”_

Yuno closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This conversation wasn’t going anywhere with his mother in her “Sorry-Phase” as he had dubbed it. 

“I’ll take the bus. It’s okay, Mama, I’ll see you at home.” 

_“Be safe.”_

After the line had disconnected, Yuno started to make his way to the small convenience store not far from the sheriff stations. 

The last week had varied between hospital food and the sandwiches the deputies and detectives at the station offered him. The weekend was mainly Cup Noodles or nothing because being accused of murder and worrying about your friends lives tended to ruin your appetite. 

He was craving something real again. Or maybe he just wanted to cook to occupy himself with something. To take his mind off everything that was happening right now. 

So, when the bus arrived, Yuno was clutching a bag filled with eggs, tomatoes, ham and a small bundle of chives. Originally, he was planning on just making some scrambled eggs, because he couldn’t really do anything properly with a broken arm. But he’d felt a bit fancy when he saw the chives and both his mother an him could honestly use some vitamins. 

**∞**

When Yuno got off the bus ten minutes later, the sun was already disappearing behind the treeline. 

From the bus stop it was only about a five-minute walk to his home. It was an older, two-story house with a small porch. The wooden slats covering the outside walls had been white once upon a time, but the weather turned them into a washed-out version of their old glory. 

His parents had bought this house when they found out that they were going to have a baby. Back then, they still had been envisioning themselves getting married, having more babies and growing old together. 

But at some point, their little bubble had burst as the reality of their situation came crashing down on them. They were just starting their twenties, trying to raise a baby and build a life without any college education. 

Their relationship couldn’t withstand the strain their situation had been putting on them. 

His paternal grandparents had been pressuring their son relentlessly to take up his studies again after he had taken a break from college to be there for his girlfriend and their new-born son. 

Due to his diligent studies Yuno’s father had been able to land a spot in the law program at Harvard, needless to say that his grandparents had been over the moon. But his mother getting pregnant jeopardized his career in their eyes. 

They had disliked the girl from the start. Yuno’s mother had been adopted by an American couple when she was just a few months old. They had tried very hard for her to still be in touch with her culture and even gave her a Korean name. But it had been hard for Yuno’s mother to identify with a country that she hadn’t visited until she was a teenager and whose culture she wasn’t actively living. 

Yuno’s paternal grandparents immigrated in the late 70s when they were freshly married. They raised their children with Korean values and etiquette as far as it was possible for them. They had given up a lot to ensure a good future for their children and now their only son’s glorious future was compromised because of his good-for-nothing girlfriend getting pregnant and not getting rid of the child. 

The house was silent when Yuno opened the front door. The only indicator that his mom was at home was her favourite coat on the clothing rack and the car keys on the drawer in the hallway. 

“Mom?”, Yuno yelled into the house while slipping out of his shoes. At first, there was no reaction, making Yuno question if he really saw his mother’s car in the driveway or if his mind was playing tricks on him. An uneasy feeling spread through his limbs as he took a step into the direction of the living room. “Mom!” 

“In the kitchen.” 

A relieved sight escaped Yuno as he pressed a hand over his thundering heart. His mother was at home, she was okay. 

Gahyeon Rickenbacker sat at the kitchen table nursing a glass of water. Her dark hair was up in a messy bun and the dark rings under her eyes were accentuated by her unnaturally pale skin. 

As soon as she saw Yuno, she attempted a smile and patted the table in front of her in an attempt to get Yuno to sit down with her. 

Yuno himself barley manged a twitch of his lips in response as he set the groceries on the counter, not planning on following his mother’s invitation. He knew that he was being unfair but he couldn’t help himself. 

Too familiar with the situation, his mother pulled her hand back and gripped the glass in front of her instead. 

“I’m sorry”, she said after Yuno had opted to unpack the groceries instead of enduring the awkward energy in the kitchen. “After I read the text I panicked. And I know that this doesn’t excuse me breaking our promise, but I didn’t know what to do.” She sighed. “And here I go making even more excuses.” 

“It’s okay”, Yuno interrupted her. “I’m not mad.” 

He continued with preparing the ingredients for the omelettes, reaching for a tomato when his mother spoke up again. 

“Do you sometimes wish that you had another mom? One that isn’t as fucked up as I am?” 

Yuno froze in his movement halfway through the tomato he was cutting. Shaken to the core, he turned around to face his mother, who was still nursing her glass of water. 

She looked defeated. Shoulders slumped, looking at her hands without really seeing something. Tears began to gather in Yuno’s eyes and he started to blink like a madman to stop them from falling. 

He knew that this was his mom’s “Self-Hatred-Phase” which meant that she was nearly sober again, but it still hurt him so much every time she talked so bad about herself. It was always the same. She was a bad person and mother, Yuno’s father was right to leave her and he should have taken Yuno with him to live a better life. 

“Never!” Yuno sat down in front of her and took her hands in his. “Mom, you – you’re my hero. I can’t even describe how much I love and admire you. You taught me everything I know and you were always there for me. I cherish every memory with you. Every tear you dried, all the nights you sat down with me and helped me understand my homework, each time you told me that not even the sky is the limit and that I should reach for the stars. I wouldn’t exchange you for anyone. You’re not fucked up. You are caring and strong and admirable. I don’t care that we don’t live in a house like Casey or that I won’t go to an Ivy League College. That doesn’t matter. So, please, don’t ever think that you couldn’t give me what I deserved. Because you gave me more than I could ever ask for.” 

His mother sniffled while her lips twitched in to a wobbly smile. She lifted a hand and softly placed it on Yuno’s left cheek. Her eyes were still clouded with tears, but they couldn’t dim the proud shimmer in her dark orbs. 

“Look at that”, she said while tenderly caressing Yuno’s cheek. “I raised a little Shakespeare. When did you turn into such a well worded young man?” 

Yuno smiled back at her. 

“Could you tell that to my teachers?” he replied cheekily. “So they’ll stop grading my papers so horribly?” 

His mother’s smile got even wider. Yuno could basically see how the laugh bubbled up her throat. And when it finally emerged, Yuno felt strangely at peace. It felt indescribably good to hear her laugh. Freed of her worries even if it was just for a few seconds. 

“Now, let me finish these omelettes so you can get something in your stomach.” 

Yuno patted his mothers’ hand again before returning to the counter to finish cutting up the tomato. For a while, he continued to cook in quiet. At some point his mother got up to set the table before she took her seat again. 

“My doctor recommended me a new rehab centre”, she took up the conversation again. “The pamphlet is somewhere by the newspapers, if you want to have a look at it. It’s a bit upstate. In the countryside. Everything looks really nice, a bit like a hotel, you know. Not at all like a place where you overcome your crippling addiction.” She laughed a bit. “They have really great programmes and courses. And great doctors, well at least Dr. Young was speaking very highly of them. But it’s also very expensive. I can’t afford the whole stay, so, it looks like I won’t be doing it. I’ll probably just do my normal program in Albany.” 

It was always the same. Dr. Young would recommend his mother a new rehab centre just for her to deem it too expensive and do the therapy at that one centre in Albany that she always stays at. It always ends with her having a relapse. 

“Just take some money out of my college fund”, Yuno proposed without even looking up from the omelette that was happily fizzling in the pan. 

“Yuno!” 

Now his mother was angry. He could hear it in the cutting edge her tone took when she’d hissed his name. Begrudgingly, he turned around to face his glaring mother. 

“This is the money to pay for your college education”, she stated slowly. “I will not ever be taking anything from there. That money is an investment for your future and not for me to use to overcome my self-inflicted addiction. And I never want you to suggest that I take money from there ever again, do you understand me.” 

This was all so unfair. Why couldn’t his mother just take one thing for herself? I wasn’t like there was enough money on the account to pay for his whole education in a top college, so why couldn’t his mother just take the money to finally afford a rehab that would actually help her overcome her addiction? Why couldn’t she put herself first for once? It frustrated Yuno to no end. 

“I asked if you understand me, Yuno!” His mother’s voice was still sharp. She hated this topic as much as Yuno did, but for all the different reasons. 

“I understand”, Yuno murmured, avoiding her heated gaze. 

“Good”, she sighed at leaned back in her chair again. The conversation was over but the atmosphere in the kitchen had turned sour. Yuno still wanted to argue, to make his mother understand that she needed this more than him. He could still worry about college in two years. 

In the meanwhile, the second omelette had finished cooking. Yuno folded it neatly onto a plate and carried the two meals to the kitchen table. 

“I have to make a call first”, he explained when his mother raised a questioning eyebrow at him when he didn’t sit down. “It’s about an assignment in Literature. Sam suggested a book but I forgot the name.” 

“Sure, go ahead. I’ll wait for you.” 

Yuno flashed a smile at her while slipping out the kitchen and making a beeline for the bathroom. He closed the door quietly and sat on down on the closed lid of the toilet seat. 

He looked at his reflection in the dark screen for a second before unlocking his phone and opening the contacts. His thumb hovered over the call button, uncertain if he really should undermine his mother like this. But he also knew that there wouldn’t be another way, so he pressed the green symbol. 

The line rang. And rang. And rang. 

Yuno had nearly given up on reaching them, when the person on the other end answered. 

_“Park & Leigh, Jacob Park speaking.”_

He swallowed. Now there was no going back. 

Hi Dad, it’s Yuno.” 


End file.
